Working in the garden in the heat can not only be dangerous if you’re not careful, but it can also make it difficult to stay on track with what you’re doing. Here are 6 ways you can beat the heat in your garden this summer.
Schedule your garden time for early morning or late evening. It can be really tough to work in the garden when the heat is sweltering. It can be a bit of a distraction, we don’t work nearly as efficiently, it can be an actual health risk and, honestly, plants don’t like being worked with in the heat of the day. That’s when they are at their least hydrated, too, and the normal wilting that can occur in the hottest part of the day makes them susceptible to damage if they are handled too much. So, if your schedule allows, get out into the garden as early as possible before the heat kicks in. If your schedule dictates that you can only work in the evening, then be sure you are chilling your harvest as quickly as possible when you bring it in. Leaving residual heat in your fruits and veg can cause them to spoil much more quickly.
Add mulch to the garden. Now, I know, this sounds like something that helps the plants beat the heat, not you. But hear me out. Mulch helps retain moisture in the soil, so you won’t need to be out there watering as frequently. Mulch helps keep weeds at bay, so you won’t need to spend as much time pulling those out of the way. Mulch can keep plant roots cool and prevents soil organisms from splashing up on the leaves, both things that help keep your plants healthier when they are being stressed by the heat, which means less time you’ll need to spend mitigating dying or diseased plant parts. All these things add up to much less time you’ll need to spend on those tasks, which means you can get in and out of the garden before the heat of the day kicks in. So, in this case, what’s good for the plants is also good for the gardener.
Hydration is key, but so is nutrition. Of course, we can’t talk about heat without talking about hydration and gardening is no exception. Of course,
we want to be drinking plenty of water. Not just during gardening, but the day before we get out into the heat. Your body needs to be properly hydrated prior to your work, not after.
Another way to keep hydrated is to use those goodies from the garden. Much of what we grow in the summer makes for a great snack that helps keep us hydrated and can make us feel cooler and more comfortable. Cucumber, watermelon, cantaloupe, zucchini and other members of the cucurbit family all have a high water content. They are all naturally hydrating. Tomatoes are the same way. Fruits like strawberries and peaches contain at least 85% water, making them great choices for hydration, too.
Combining any of those fruits or veggies with water and then adding a cooling herb can not only hydrate you but make you feel cooler, too. Many herbs act sort of like refrigerants by actually lowering the body’s temperature and cooling its tissues. This includes herbs like lemongrass, lemon balm, lavender, any of the mints, and chamomile. Plus, some of these also encourage perspiration, which doesn’t sound comforting, but that’s how your body cools itself naturally. Add a nice breeze and that evaporative effect will cool you down nicely. To take advantage of some of these effects try making iced teas or just steep them in water.
Conversely to this, experts say to avoid alcohol, caffeine, and high amounts of processed sugar when working in the heat. These can all be dehydrating, the exact opposite of what you want. So, when it’s really hot maybe save the chore beer for after you get done working.
And, let’s not forget about fueling our bodies. You burn plenty of calories working in the garden and that only intensifies in the heat. Your body has to work harder to accomplish the same tasks when it’s hot and you need to replace those calories. Using those fruits and vegetables I mentioned above will not only hydrate you but replace some of the calories you’ve worked off.
Utilize shade.
There may be times when you feel like you have no choice to be out working in the heat. So, one way to keep yourself safe from the heat is to use a patio umbrella or canopy. I really like pop-up canopies for this because you can stake or weight them down where you’re working to reduce the likelihood of them toppling over if a strong breeze blows in. They are light enough to move along with you as you work and fold up out of the way when not in use. If you’ll be working in one section of the garden for an extended period of time, this is a good way to go.
If you don’t have a canopy or umbrella you can use, at least take frequent breaks to find a shady spot. Even just a few minutes in the shade can be enough to reduce your body temperature by a few degrees and make you much more comfortable and able to get back to work. Take that moment in the shade to hydrate, too.
Dress in tech fabrics or loose cotton clothing.
There is plenty of sweat-wicking synthetic fabrics that are specifically designed to pull the sweat away from your skin which, when combined with any bit of a breeze, can have a very effective evaporate cooling effect. As someone concerned with sustainability, however, I often have heartburn with the petroleum products used to make that tech gear. It’s a tradeoff. But another option is light-colored, loose-fitting, cotton clothing. The natural, lightweight fiber of cotton allows the sweat to move quickly away from your skin to your clothes, and to then evaporate into. The billowy nature of loose clothing allows the air to move more readily next to the skin to help with that evaporation. Another option, if you’re up for it, is to just wear less clothing. Technically, the best thing is to have sweat evaporate directly from your skin to the air without having to pass through clothing first.
Keep a cooler with you while outside but have more than just your water in there.
Having an icepack with a towel and a spray bottle can do a lot to help keep you cool when working in the garden in the heat. Wiping down with a chilled towel and spritzing yourself with a cool mist of water, especially on areas where your veins are closest to the surface of your skin like the inside of your wrists, can cool your body by several degrees temporarily. It’s very refreshing, especially if you combine this with some shade and cooling hydration. You can also throw your sunscreen in there so when it’s time to reapply, you get a little cooldown, too.
Hopefully these tips will help make working in your garden in the hottest part of the summer a bit safer and more enjoyable. Fingers crossed you get through this and both you and your garden survive to celebrate with bountiful harvests and maybe a fall garden!
Your Friend in the Garden,
Karin
